Questioning Faith Directed by Macky Alston, 2002

All his life, award-winning filmmaker Macky Alston has believed in a merciful and benevolent God. The untimely death of a close friend and fellow seminary student Alan Smith, however, challenges Alston’s deepest convictions. He initiates his film with the pressing question: How does one believe in God in the face of so much human suffering?

In an effort to resolve this quandary, QUESTIONING FAITH sets out on a journey of probing self-discovery. After visiting Alan’s hometown hoping to learn what he believed in his final days, Alston sets up a network of interviews with a wildly diverse group of people in New York, including the pastor of his theological school who views her battle with cancer as an opportunity, a Muslim woman who sees angels during brain surgery, and a straight-talking atheist who lived through the Russian Revolution. At stake here is not only whether or not Alston can maintain his faith, but also how human beings navigate their way through the darkest hours of seemingly senseless loss.

A deeply moving and uplifting film, QUESTIONING FAITH reveals an underlying principle common to us all: the “power of presence,” as life calls us to be there for each other.